The New England Patriots are currently strapped for bodies at the fullback position. James Develin's backup, Danny Vitale, has reportedly opted out of the 2020 NFL season, according to USA Today Sports' Jarrett Bell, via NFL Update.

Vitale, 26, was supposed to fill in on the Patriots for James Develin, the seven-year veteran fullback who officially retired in April earlier this year.

Develin was a three-time Super Bowl champion with the Patriots, getting a Pro Bowl selection once in 2017. An undrafted fullback out of Brown in 2010, Develin signed with New England in Sept. 2012 after floating through a few rosters in three different professional football leagues. He retired earlier this year at the age of 32.

Vitale was signed by the Patriots in March 2020 following two seasons with the Green Bay Packers. At six feet tall, Vitale was a sixth-round pick by the Cleveland Browns out of Northwestern in the 2016 NFL Draft. Last year with the Packers, Vitale caught seven passes for just under 100 receiving yards.

The only other fullback on the Patriots' roster is German back Jakob Johnson, a rising sophomore fullback who competed in just four games during the 2019 season with the AFC East club, filling in when Develin was injured and coming up from the practice squad by way of the International Players Pathway.

Of course, the Patriots' biggest roster turnover this past spring was at the quarterback position, seeing star signal-caller Tom Brady leave in free agency for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Several weeks ago, New England agreed to a deal with former MVP quarterback Cam Newton, a free agent who spent the last nine years with the Carolina Panthers.

Nevertheless, the Pats will have to shore up the fullback position with their next moves.